The Lions Princess
by SickleStar
Summary: 'James ran his fingers through his jet black hair. Oh Merlin he looked sexy when he wanted.' A story of James and Lily in their seventh year and how they got together. Rate 'T' for swearing.
1. In Denial

**No copyright intended, all characters and ideas belong to JK Rowling. ****Please review!**

_The thick, black smoke filled the atmosphere. Sirens wailing, people panicking. Lily gasped for air. She held her chest, retching. Trying to stay low. Her right arm cut and blood staining her shirt. The door flew open. A shadow, dark and unrecognisable. _

"_Lily!" the voice yelled._

_She tried to yell back, plea for help, but the smoke was too strong and started to intoxicate her. Her hands gave way and she collapsed. A rough grip found her, she was being carried. The air was more clear out here. Her eyes managed to stay open for little over than a few seconds, then everything went gloomy and she could feel a cold syrup being forced down her throat. Lily's hand grabbed whatever she could. Soft, warm, bed. Infirmary. With a small cough she blacked out once more..._

Lily threw herself up, she looked about her surroundings. Four other girls lay barely asleep in their own poster-beds. Lily's hand was raised to her forehead. Drenched in sweat. Her feet found the floor and she made her way to the bathroom. She started the shower and jumped in.Wiping off her left over make-up, Lily stepped out of the running water and changed into her night gown. Her bed was made up already and one window opened a little.

_'House-Elfs." _Lily thought.

She looked out the window and could see the sun rising behind the horizon. She suppressed a smile and turned back staring down her classmates.

"Get up!" she said to them loudly.

Three of the girls began to awake slowly, apart from one.

"Oi Alice." Lily whispered to the girl who was bashing her alarm clock against the wall.

"Yeah?" she mumbled.

"C'mon over here." Lily waved her over. Alice waddled over. "We'll put our faces right in front of Marlene's, I wanna see her reaction."

Alice nodded in agreement. They put their faces right in front of Marlene's.

"Hey, Marlene. Wake up." Lily whispered. "It's Sirius, he said something about Valentine's Day."

Marlene's eyes flew open and her face went straight up, head-butting Lily and Alice as well.

"Ow!" Lily winced in pain.

There was a massive thump, and Alice appeared on the ground holding her head.

"That did not, have the desired effect we were expecting." she said pulling herself up.

The other two girls roared with laughter and rolled about their beds.

"Tomorrow." Marlene begun pulling off her doona. "I'd rather you set the alarm."

"Fair enough." Lily laughed.

She walked over to the mirror and applied her make-up. Fixed up her hair, pulled on her shirt and picked up her rucksack.

"Lets go then." Alice suggested fifteen minutes later.

"Oh Merlin, here they come." Sirius moaned as Marlene, Lily and Alice entered the Great Hall. "They're looking bloody energetic."

James swung around. Padfoot was right. Although Lily's glow wasn't as bright as normal. She looked rather distressed. Probably too much homework. Or maybe woman's stuff.

"Morning you lot." Marlene said sitting down in between Sirius and Peter.

"Morning." James, Sirius, Peter and Remus all said in unison.

"Wow, you're an exciting bunch." Lily said helping herself to some toast.

"Says you, Evans." James replied.

"What do you mean?" she asked, clearly curious.

"Nothing." James coughed.

He picked up his goblet and swished it around then raised it to his lips.

"I wouldn't-" Remus begun. James took a swig of his drink. "Never mind." Remus shook his head.

"Why? What's wrong with it?" James asked sounding alert.

"Oh, you'll find out later on." Remus laughed and returned to his book.

James looked helplessly at the three girls. They were no help, the just begun laughing.

"Brilliant." James rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Anyway!" Sirius yelled out trying to keep the conversation going. "We're all going for Butterbeers later on during free period. You ladies up for it?"

"Sure!" Alice and Marlene smiled.

"Lily, you coming?" Remus asked.

"Huh?" she looked at him. "Oh uh, no I'm going to hang around Hogwarts. I have some homework to finish."

"Oh come on! Don't be a sour puss, do your homework tonight." Sirius said shoving bacon in his mouth.

"Don't call me a sour puss, Black." Lily glared at him. "Otherwise the next time you have a drink I'll buy you so many more that you'll be rocking your hangover for another week."

"Burn!" Marlene and James both said.

Everyone cracked up laughing, apart from Lily and Sirius.

"Come on Prongs!" Sirius yelled from the bottom of the staircase. "Hurry up! It'll be Christmas before you get your butt down here!"

"Padfoot, Christmas is only another month away," James called back. "and change of plan! I'm staying back here."

"What? Well I'm not buying you a drink then!"

"Don't care!" and with that James shut the door closed.

He walked about the Boy's Dormitory. Getting sick of pacing very shortly, James sat onto his bed and looked up at the roof of the bunk. Photo's were stuck onto it, some collaged, others isolated. He store at his pictures of Lily - which unsurprisingly was most of them, if you don't count the six of himself and Sirius, Remus and also Peter. Then there was a small section of all the Marauder's including Marlene and Alice. And counting that photo of just James and Lily. His arm around her shoulder and she was laughing her head off. James could feel himself become sleepy, and his eyelids started to drop. He let them.

_Her red hair flicked around, swishing in the air. Lily stumbled and lost balance of her footing. She fell into the bright coloured leaves, they flew about. James laughed, and he too tripped then fell right beside her. They chuckled in between breaths, Lily turned and suddenly she was staring at James. Right into his beautiful eyes. She smiled, trying to contain her blush. James moved a strand of her hair with his finger. His hand fall down to her cheek, and he rubbed it with his thumb. Their faces were nearing, and James' heart was skipping beats. If he were to move only a centre meter closer, they'd be kissing. _

"_James." she whispered in a soft, glowing voice._

"_Sh." he said raising his finger to her lips._

_He filled the gap in between them both, and kissed her. Not quite sure what was coming his way -probably a slap or something- James kept kissing her. And surprisingly, she was kissing him back. They were gone. Away from the world, into their own blissful oblivion. James' hand was making his way up her back, Lily slowly raised her foot against his leg. James' pressure on her lips decreased and they were staring at each other once more._

"James!" he was being shaken. "James!"

His eyes opened up, and the girl who occurred in his dream was in his face.

"Lily." he said in a croaky voice.

James reached for his glasses.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked, yawning.

"I need help with the Prefect's schedule."

"My help?"

"Well unfortunately you're the only one here!" she said. "So yes, your help."

James groaned.

"Get up, Potter!" she called from the other side of the room.

He shot her a glare but obeyed. James followed her down the spiral staircase into the Common Room. Lily led him over to an empty table and she sat down.

"So tell me how can the girl's go into the Boy's Dormitory, but the boys can't go into the girls." James asked while Lily spread out numerous pieces of paper.

"I don't know. Just can." she looked at a sheet and flipped it over. "Tell me how many times you've tried to get into the Girl's Dormitory."

"Too many to count. So what exactly do you need my help for? I never help with this, it's always Remus."

"Well Remus isn't here!" she countered.

"So you chose me? Out of all the other Prefect's about, you chose me?"

"Don't think of it as a compliment, Potter." she smirked.

"I might do so. Considering I don't remember the last time you gave me a compliment."

"Probably because you never deserved one."

"Touche'."

James ran his hand through his dark, messy hair.

_Oh Merlin he looked sexy when he wanted. Wait, what? What are thinking Lily? This is the boy you swore that you'd rather date pigs than! Go away brain, not now! Yes now! This is Potter you're fantasising about! That rude, asinine toe-rag! That bully who used to pick on the Slytherin's, the one who stole people's lunch, the boy who begged to go out with you. But he doesn't do that now brain! He isn't that worthless, piece of crap man-boy any more. He actually acts civil, plays nice and has fun. He makes me laugh, gives me a shoulder to cry on when I need it, helps me, makes me feel as if I'm the only girl in the world. And he still occasionally asks me out, which is getting very hard to say no to lately. It makes my heart beat faster than ever, I go weak at the knees, and just hope he doesn't notice. You are getting soppy these days Lily, oh well. At least you just realised that you fancy him. Yes you fancy him. Lily Evans, Head Girl of Hogwarts is crushing on James Potter!_

"Lily! You there? Hello?" James was saying.

"Huh? Oh yeah, sorry." she replied getting snapped back into reality. "What are you doing?"

He leaned back against the chair and threw his hands behind his head.

"Well I was fixing up the Slytherin's fifth years schedule, when I noticed you were staring at me." he said in a casual voice. "Can't bear my looks ay, Evans?"

"Can so! I was thinking. Have a problem with me thinking?"

"No. But I do when you stare at me when you think, makes me wonder whether I should ask you out again." he replied wiping his glasses.

"Well you shouldn't."

_No he shouldn't, Lily. Because this time you might not be able to say no._

"Wish I learned Occlumency. That way I'd have proof about what you thought of me." James said tapping his head.

"Well I can tell you what I think of you." Lily replied folding her arms.

"By all means go ahead, but don't make it a mouthful. I'm feeling a little iffy."

"I think you're a selfish git, who just can't bear the thought of not making one girl in the entire school going weak at the knees because of you're so called 'looks'. Well news flash on that one, Potter. You won't be able to change her mind no matter what you do, she'll never think that way of you and you will never be anything more than friends. Get the picture?" and with that Lily picked up the messy pile of sheets and stormed upstairs.

"Shit." James said under his breath.

He shoved his hands against his face and continued to swear.


	2. I'm Sorry For Hurting You

"Lily? Are you okay?" asked the voice of Hestia Jones.

"Fine, why?" Lily replied looking back at her.

"Well I was in Hogsmeade, and I realised you weren't there with everyone else." she said innocently, "Are you sure you're okay? Did Potter piss you off?"

"No, sort of – it's complicated."

"Perhaps I could help?"

"No. I'll try and sort it out."

"Well, alright. Are you coming to dinner?"

"No, I'm not hungry."

"Okay, see you later." she said goodbye and left hesitantly.

Lily observed the room, the Common Room's fire was blazing brightly, thick layers of sleet falling from the sky and the crowd of people decreasing as the head for dinner.

_Why in the name of Merlin's saggy Y-fronts did you do it Lily? A year of friendship most likely down the drain within just a minute. Things were just starting to get good, and you stuffed it all up by cracking just because you think you fancy him. 'Think', there's a word I know I stuffed up. More like 'know'. And you've probably known for a while now, but never wanted to admit it. When did you start feeling so vulnerable, Lily? Probably when you first thought what would happen if you actually said yes to one of his invitings to a date. That was what? Like only three months ago. Had to be; you were on the Train on the way to Hogwarts when James suddenly picked up the subject and asked. Horrid moment, thought it was that stupid Chokeberry flavoured bean. Oh well it was bound to happen, don't they "Opposites attract" or something? _

Getting sick of thinking, Lily opened up a random folder and searched it for nothing in particular. A photograph fell out, she picked it up intensely and looked. Her and James. James and her. No matter what way you looked at it from – denial, disbelief, fake – they were happy. Lily smiling broadly and James looking at her in awe. This wasn't that long ago, she turned it over and looked at the familiar neat writing.

_'I'm sorry for hurting you. -Potter'_

How long ago did he do this? Just today? After they argued? When Lily first go the photo developed? It was hard to tell when he could've done it. Does he mean it? Or is he kidding around? But why would Potter kid with such a thing? Then again, why wouldn't he? It was so hard to tell that even Lily couldn't figure out when he'd done it. She stowed the picture into her chest of drawers underneath her robes.

Maybe it was the tension between them, or the thought of how this was going to end, but James cornered Lily the following afternoon before their last lesson.

"Did you get it?" he started off slowly.

"Yes I did. How long ago did you-"

"Yesterday, thought you would've been able to figure that out."

"I wasn't sure." Lily said trying to hide her thoughts of her own stupidity. "You didn't hurt me. You didn't even do anything! It was all me."

"I have hurt you, Lily. You've just been so caught up in this stupid relationship that you haven't even noticed how badly you really have been hurt." he argued.

"I don't know what you mean!" she countered. "Help me understand."

"I can't help you understand, you have to work it out for yourself."

James left her speechless. How Lily, how can you fix this? How can you work it out?

As Potions dragged by from their previous lesson about Love Potions Lily picked up the scent as she had encountered from the Dungeons, then came to realise that James – followed by the rest of the motley crew – had crept up behind her.

"How are you?" he asked as they all made their way down to the Quidditch Pitch for training.

He's acting as if the conversation from earlier was nothing more than a pile of dirt – it was really, But Lily somehow found this defensive.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Sounded good." he said smirking.

Lily hit him in the gut then chucked the Quaffle into his arms.

"Have fun." she said.

"Oh I will." James smiled.

He mounted his Skyte 380 and flew off.

Lily head for the grand stands over to Alice, Hestia and Marlene.

"Oh doesn't Sirius just look stunning when he shoots a goal?" Marlene was saying when Lily sat down. "The way his muscular arms flex beautifully, and the way he just- sort of flies through the air."

Hestia and Alice were trying hard not to laugh. Lily supposed she chose the wrong time to head up here. Marlene pursed her lips.

"Uh, news flash for you, M. He is flying through the air." Alice said.

"I know." Marlene said defensively.

"Merlin woman, you need to ask him out. I don't think I can stand another second of listening to you ramble on about him." Hestia added.

Lily's mind was far from the conversation being conducted. She was thinking of that. Him. _'I'm sorry for hurting you.' _When suddenly it came to her.

_How can he do such a thing? He's twisted you Lily. Starting at Hogwarts it wasn't so bad, you were able to stand against him. Not give a damn about what would happen to him. But as soon as you reached seventh year, that moment on the Train, blame for a Chokeberry bean the floodgates opened. He's known all along! And decided to use it against you. He's made you snap at him and feel guilty, purposely unattending events that you didn't go to spend time together and even asking you out knowing that it would eventually become harder for you to say no! Now you realise how ugly this entire thing is._

_He's played you for all you had! But you have it no more. You're strength, pride and dignity. All gone. The only thing standing left is just vulnerability. _

"You alright, Lil?" Alice asked snapping her back.

"Huh? Oh I'm fine, thinking is all." Lily replied with a weak smile.

Hestia raised an eyebrow, quite sure that Marlene looked suspicious. She hastily added, "Oh look the boys are finished!"

Lily, Marlene, Hestia and Alice all headed back for the Pitch and waited on the boys until they exited the Change Room's.

"Took you long enough!" Hestia said as they made a reappearance ten minutes later.

"Sorry, got caught up in talking." James said.

He looked over at Lily who ignored his gaze. James smirked.

"Well, are we heading back up then?" Remus asked.

"Yeah, lets go." Alice agreed.

Everyone made their way up to the castle; except James and Lily. The entire eight of them was walking, their backs to Lily and James. So deep into a conversation no one had even noticed that Lily dragged James into an empty classroom.

"Figured it out-" James begun.

But Lily didn't let him finish, she slapped him right across the face; without hesitation.

"Okay I deserved that." he said rubbing the spot where Lily hit him.

"Yeah, you bloody well did!" she barked in his face. "How could you do such a thing? You're so heartless!"

"Believe me when I say I had no intention of doing it."

"How can I believe YOU?" she yelled. "Where is my bit of hope for this? You've played me! Like all those other lines of girls."

"It was different!"

"How was it different?" she screamed throwing whichever objects she could find.

"Because YOU are different-" he yelled ducking behind a table when Lily found a chair as her next victim.

"Oh different am I?"

"Yes! Why I fell for you? Because you were the only one in the entire school who didn't line up to date me! You are special, unique! And not to mention incredibly hot." he said under his breath. "And look I know I can't take back what I've done, but I want to say sorry."

James begun to step closer to her once she finished throwing everything around.

"I don't care about your apology, Potter." Lily said angrily. "You can shove it up your fat-"

James cut her off not caring what would happen next. He grasped onto her shoulders and kissed her full on the lips. All the pettiness and rage seemed to have sunk into the kiss, because the next thing James knew was that Lily was responding with so much enthusiasm she caught him off guard when she wrapped her legs around his waist. James held her tightly in his arms and begun putting kisses down her neck. It was beautiful that it might have been a dream. To be kissing – not, not kissing more like making-out with Lily Evans. She ran her hands through his jet black hair then pulled his chin back up to snog him some more.

"Oh my, God!" said a voice.

Lily and James broke apart so fast that a bomb could've gone off right there. All of them – Marlene, Alice, Hestia, Remus, Peter and Sirius were standing in the door, mouths wide open. Silence fell in the room, and no one was going to break it.

"Are you two mad?" Remus spoke. "Do you know what could happen if someone say the two Head's in such a compromising position? You're lucky it was us who caught you."

"It was Lily. She started it." James said immediately.

_Oh of course, blame Lily for it happening!_

"Well congrats anyway mate." Remus smiled.

"Yeah, took you two long enough." Sirius chuckled.

After what seemed like and endless night early morning arrived and James and Lily were the only ones left in the Common Room. Lily sat beside him on the couch, James lowered his arm around her shoulder.

"Well that was a fun night." Lily sighed.

"You bet. Although, I'm happy." James replied. Lily faced him. "I'm sorry for hurting you." he added in whispering.

"It's okay." she replied in the same tone as him. "I'm glad you did."

"So am I." he smiled.

They leaned in at the same time, and their lips clashed together.


End file.
